Design and evaluation

MACS 40700 University of Chicago

Truthful

  • Importance of truth
  • Truth continuum
  • Where is truth constructed

Inconsistent x-axis

Inconsistent y-axis

Two y-axes

Only have half the year

Numbers plotted are not even correct

Spurious correlations

Missing the other part of the story - what happens to those without a 4-year degree?

Functional

  • What is the purpose? What’s the story?
  • Balance between detail and readability
  • Targeting different audiences/formats

Baseline of 34, not 0

Inverted y-axis

Should have gone with a bar chart

Beautiful

  • Value of aesthetics
  • Chart junk

Eww chart junk

Serious story, ruined by amateur graph

Insightful

  • Spontaneous
  • Knowledge-building
  • Know your audience
  • Know your medium

Self-Description

All zeroes

Insightful visualizations

Enlightening

  • Is this topic important?
  • Somewhat relative, but also somewhat absolute
  • “Do good with data”

Movie Narrative Charts

Child’s sleeping pattern

Visualization critiques